By now I think most of us know that we shouldn’t believe everything we read on the Internet. But it is still good to remind ourselves of the need to have discernment when we read what someone posts on a blog. Lee Siegel is the author of the book, Against the Machine: How the Web is Reshaping Culture and Commerce—and why it Matters. His chapter on “The Emperor’s New Modem” is full of examples of why we should not believe everything we read in blogs.
There are hundreds of millions of blogs in existence. There are political blogs, cultural blogs, and personal blogs. There are blogs devoted to every profession and every hobby one could imagine. While there are many that are very helpful and useful, we should also remember that they can also be full of error. Often rumor quickly turns into fact.
A number of years ago, Matt Drudge falsely claimed that John Kerry had an affair with an intern on Capitol Hill who then fled to Africa. After the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004, the Internet was teeming with photographs and video clips of the event that proved false. A blogger’s false report of one of the traders at an investment group caused the company’s stock to plunge significantly.
Blogs succeed because of the way they are ranked rather than because they present fair and accurate information. Consider this analysis from the book, Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers.“Blogging turns out to be the best way to secure a high Google ranking . . . . Blogs get updated all the time, which most websites do not, so blogs get more search engine attention.” Sadly what often gets the most attention is what is sensational, perhaps even outrageous. And the more attention and the more links, the higher a particular blog rises on the rankings.
When we do go to blogs and websites, we should be aware these issues. The Internet often rewards bloggers who are controversial, outrageous, and often inaccurate. Enjoy the blogs you read, but please exercise some discernment. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.
I do not agree wih the man. He was elected to represent the people, not himself or his family. Too many elected officials now-a-days think they have the right to vote there own opinions instead of the majority of there constituents.